


Soul Calibur V- Episode III

by TheThirdCharles



Series: Soul Calibur V [3]
Category: Soul Calibur
Genre: Cage Fights, Escape, Gen, Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-02
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-14 04:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10528743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheThirdCharles/pseuds/TheThirdCharles
Summary: Pat goes home, Dumas shows him a spacious basement, and a psychic issues him the vaguest spoilers imaginable.





	

Soul Calibur V Episode 3

Interior of the tavern from the previous episode. Pat looks around. He's on the counter, light from the morning hitting him in the eye. He's been bandaged a bit and given basic first aid. Struggling to sit up, he slowly does so, looking the Barkeep in the face.

BARKEEP  
So. You're awake?

PAT  
You guys helped me?

BARKEEP  
Zwei was feeling charitable or something. That said, he sure as hell didn't pull any punches. So, we scraped you up, plopped you onto the bar and I did the best I could.

PAT  
Thanks, but you aren't dressed like a doctor. What are you, a barkeep?

BARKEEP  
That and a doctor. It's a small town.

PAT  
Are you even trained?

BARKEEP  
You're not dead, are you? I treat wounds, care for the brutalized from the riots, and give out prescriptions if need be.

PAT  
Prescriptions?

BARKEEP  
Mainly of beer. You should be grateful. We would've left you for dead had my daughter not vouched for you. She says you met in the woods.

PAT  
Oh, her. I-I'm so sorry. If I had known, I would've-

BARKEEP  
Don't. Thank you, but what's done is done. Now, I'm going to offer you a drink and afterwards tell you to get the hell out of my town.

PAT  
I get the shove out the door, but why the drink?

BARKEEP  
You reporting back to Dumas?

PAT  
I don't have much of a choice. He made me what I am today.

BARKEEP  
If that were true, you'd have died last night. You're more than likely a dead man by going back to him. Might as well have one last drink.

PAT  
...sure.

Barkeep pours pat a shot of a dark alcohol. Pat downs it, coughing incessantly.

BARKEEP  
Huh.

PAT  
What?

BARKEEP  
The way you fought yesterday, I hadn't pegged you for a pussy. Lightweights.

PAT  
Ha. Ha.

Pat gets on his horse, the townsfolk having gotten it together for him.

PAT  
And my weapons?

YOUNG WOMAN  
We need them more.

PAT  
Yeah, I guess you would.

YOUNG WOMAN  
You don't have to go back to Dumas. You're not like them. You're a man of honor.

PAT  
That's exactly why I have to.

BARKEEP  
Go on, then. And tell 'em to stay away this time.

PAT  
I don't suppose that other soldier is coming with me?

Barkeep pulls up his sleeve to show his crossbow wound.

BARKEEP  
See this arm? He's gonna wish his looked like this once we're done with him.

Pat nods, riding off on the path.

YOUNG WOMAN  
It's a shame. He doesn't have to die.

BARKEEP  
That's up to him. Always has been.

Ext. street in Dumas's city. Cobblestone, tall buildings, a gray color scheme. there are citizens standing about and talking. The city gate is visible, a large, intimidating wooden door.

CITIZENS are talking amongst themselves. They hear a loud creak as the gate opens. 8 DUMAS GUARDS inside salute as PAT, still badly beaten, his armor varying degrees of broken, patched up with basic medicine, and completely unarmed, rides in on his horse. Smiles fade from Citizen's faces. Worry and fear come across their faces as they part to the sides of the road. Pat gazes to both sides of the road, seeing the looks on their faces. He sighs and then looks up. He now sees Dumas's castle. Wide shot of the full castle and Pat and his horse incredibly small down on the road riding up to it.

Int. Dumas's castle, main hall. Gray and white with orange accents decorate a stunning main hall, complete with pillars, rugs, and angelic gargoyles. A guard stands by each side of the doorway and pillar. There's a large stairway leading up to the rest of the castle.

Pat walks in, almost limping. DUMAS stands at the top of the staircase.

PAT  
Graf Dumas. I'm back.

DUMAS  
My god. What happened to you my boy?

PAT  
The wolf was more than I expected. I... I couldn't handle it.

DUMAS  
What do you mean?

PAT  
It was a guy that could summon a ghost wolf-man. I was holding my own against him, but then he brought out his friend. They knocked me around pretty bad.

DUMAS  
You can't be serious. What was his name?

PAT  
Zwei.

DUMAS  
This is worse than I'd imagined.

PAT  
You know him?

DUMAS  
I know OF him. He runs with a mercenary company the size of a small army. The wolf himself isn't a problem, but then there's his superiors.

PAT  
Stronger than him?

DUMAS  
It's led by the last known wielder of the demon sword Soul Edge. A man called Nightmare that killed entire armies by sucking out their souls before they could so much as raise a sword against him. The bastard had a natural affinity for the blade. Eventually he was overrun, but now he's back and raising an army of malfested.

PAT  
Why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?

DUMAS  
I didn't want you charging in. I didn't think you could handle it, and it looks like I was right. These people are merciless.

PAT  
Then why am I still here? He spared my life.

DUMAS  
After killing all the other men.

PAT  
Do you know what they'd been doing to that village? Arson, murders, what they did to the women-

DUMAS  
The price to be paid for lives saved and malfested slain. The village killed how many of my men? Nearly killed one of my best soldiers too. Once you're ready, I'll give you an entire battalion to lead back there and you'll cleanse it until every last malfested-sympathizing one of them is dead. If they aren't possessed yet, he'll turn them soon. Better to nip this in the bud.

PAT  
No! These people showed mercy to me like nothing I'd seen in your army. The civillian deaths, the trials!

DUMAS  
Stop. You've lost a lot of blood, son. Think about what you're saying.

PAT  
You've been using me to hunt the malfested and we're burning down whole villages in a scatter-shot in the hopes we catch a malfested in there too!

DUMAS  
Patroklos, this is treason. I'm warning you-

Three Dumas Guards move up behind Pat to arrest him if need be. Pat eyes them and looks back to Dumas.

PAT  
What? You'll have me killed like everyone you say is malfested? Zwei was right, damn it!

Pat moves unexpectedly quickly, stealing one of the guard's swords and clumsily charging Dumas.

PAT  
How many lives would I be saving if I were to put you down right here and now?

DUMAS  
You'd only be killing YOURSELF.

Dumas draws his sabre, disarming Pat. He proceeds to hit Pat in the face with the hilt and knock him out.

Int. Dumas's castle, underground ring, an octagonal ring held up by bars that suspend it 15 feet below a higher level of floor. 50 feet down runs a deep river and 20 feet across from the cage all around is a circular series of seats extending back farther than is visible. The seats are filled with aristocrats.

Pat awakens on the layer above the ring in a layer of darkness. A Dumas Guard holds each of his arms. He's in front of the pit that becomes the cage. Dumas stands staring at him angrily and solemnly on the other side of the pit.

PAT  
Graf?

DUMAS  
You aren't dead yet, boy. Soul Edge has claimed you, but there's still a way to return to me.

PAT  
Do you even believe any of this?

DUMAS  
The more important question is do you? You will if you want to stay alive.

Dumas signals the guards. They hand him a worn sword and shield. In his confusion, they push him into the pit.

PAT  
Aaaaagh!

Pat hits the ground hard.

DUMAS  
Good nobles of my domain, our war against the malfested have claimed another life! That of Patroklos Alexander, one of my finest warriors and a boy that was like a son to me!

PAT  
What the hell?

Pat gets up, looking around to see the crowd, the lot of them wearing masks and cheering at the spectacle.

DUMAS  
And yet, I can't raise my hand against him! I cannot give up faith that he can yet be saved, so I am giving him one last chance!

Pat inspects the sword and sees that it's slightly rusted and stained with blood. The shield is wooden and scarred from overuse. He looks back up, but Dumas is invisible in the dark of the upper floor.

DUMAS  
He must cleanse the world of more malfested to cleanse himself! Prepare yourself, child! Earn back your soul!

Pat gets into a combat stance as the crowd chants.

CROWD  
CLEANSE! CLEANSE! CLEANSE! CLEANSE!

A smiling MALFESTED with tattered clothes, a grisled, unshaven face, and a warhammer lands in the ring in front of Pat.

MALFESTED  
Any last words, kiss ass?

PAT  
I'm legitimately surprised you're actually a malfested.

MALFESTED  
It's not so bad here, really. I get taken prisoner and get roughed up a bit, sure. But then they hand me a hammer and say I get to 'kill my way to salvation'.

PAT  
Did they ever once say that out loud when they signed off on this place?

MALFESTED  
What? I kill enough people until I'm deemed to be a delicate little flower? Sounds fun to me.

Malfested laughs, swinging his hammer at Pat, who dodges by rolling to the left, getting back on his feet. Malfested's hammer hits the bar, which causes the whole cage to ring from the impact, knocking Pat over.

MALFESTED  
You get used to it, kid. Or at least you would have if I weren't gonna bust your head open!

Pat jumps to his feet, another hammer swing coming towards him. He goes to block with his shield. The hammer hits, cracking his shield in the center and injuring his arm. Pat winces in pain. Pat stabs Malfested in the gut with his sword, but Malfested grimaces and pulls away before the stab gets too deep, bringing the hammer down once again. Pat jumps back, dodging it. Pat's back hits the bar the Malfested had previously hit and notices that it shakes a bit. The Malfested gets a subtle orange glow and continues into a second swing. Pat ducks, the Malfested again hitting the bar and Pat slices him in the side, this time deeper. Pat fights through the shaking this time, diving under the Malfested and rising to his feet. The Malfested hits the bar hard headfirst, barely conscious. His expression is furious. He starts turn around, raising his hammer above his head only to see Pat running at him with his sword. His expression turns to panic as he starts to swing the hammer downwards, but Pat uses what's left of his shield to stop Malfested's arms mid-swing and impales him with his sword. The orange glow fades from Malfested's eyes and he dies. Pat moves back, exhausted. The hammer clangs to the ground next to him. He takes a breather in the center of the ring, when he hears an odd vwoosh-vwoosh sound. PRISONER, a shirtless, scarred man with long hair lands behind him. Pat quickly turns, striking at him. Pat's sword hits his spiked flail, which breaks Pat's sword in two. Pat is shocked. Pat tucks the bottom half of the broken sword into his belt and dodges two swings from Prisoner, who remains very silent. Prisoner hits the ground below that, creating sparks and making Pat jump a step back. Pat trips on Malfested's body and falls over next to his fallen hammer. Prisoner approaches slowly, his flail always spinning. Pat gets up, grabbing the hammer and jabs it at the flail, which bounces the flail back. Prisoner spins, trying to keep control of the flail and turns it around at Pat. He tries to hit the fail and misses this time. Instead, the flail hits the hammer, which is knocked out of the cage. Pat looks at it fall and backs back up to the loose bar, now slightly bent.

PRISONER  
I'm sorry.

Prisoner swings the flail vertically at Pat. Pat sidesteps to the right. The fail dings as the ball is caught between the loose bar and the one next to it. Prisoner is surprised at this as Pat pulls out what's left of his sword and stabs Prisoner in his right shoulder. Pat pulls out the half a foot of sword from Prisoner as Prisoner falls to the ground badly wounded.

PAT  
You're not malfested, are you?

PRISONER  
Another fight or two and I might've been free. A little late for that now, don't you think?

PAT  
What'd you do, question the Graf?

PRISONER  
What's it to you? Just kill me already. Maybe you'll get out.

PAT  
I'm not killing you.

DUMAS  
Patroklos Alexander, another most impressive victory, but to earn your freedom, you need to finish the demon.

PAT  
And then what? You send more prisoners in for me to kill?

DUMAS  
With each malfested you slay, you're one step closer to redemption. Don't turn your back on this noble cause again or I'll have you slain like the scum you've become.

PRISONER  
Just get it over with!

PAT  
Never again. Now get me a real weapon and drop down here yourself.

DUMAS  
I think I've got a better idea. A soul as profane as yours demands... special consideration.

PRISONER  
JUST KILL ME NOW! WHAT COMES NEXT IS WORSE!

PAT  
We'll fight it together.

PRISONER  
IT'S NO USE!

A flurry of red robes drop down in front of a confused Pat and terrified Prisoner. Pat is dumbfounded. It is the CARDINAL. He slowly folds his hands into his golden chest-piece.

DUMAS  
Face true purity.

The crowd is deathly quiet. Pat and Prisoner shift about as Cardinal is perfectly still. Prisoner grabs the top half of Pat's sword that had been broken off and charges in screaming. In slow motion, the Cardinal's chest-piece comes undone. His hands, each covered in half of the piece fall to his sides. His robe falls to the ground, revealing pale skin and a tight, dark red, almost fetishistic jumpsuit with golden plates of armor covering a third of his body. His hands remain in the chestpieces, which now clearly possess pointed blades on the end like claws, revealing him to be VOLDO. He shifts into a more fluid stance as Prisoner reaches him. Voldo back hand-springs, crouching in his new place. Prisoner has not lost his momentum and continues, horrified and caught in motion. Voldo leaps up, his claws catching Prisoner in the throat. Prisoner is bleeding out, as Voldo raises his hands up as far as they'll go. Voldo stand now at over six feet as prisoner weakly tries to grasp the claws in his throat. Voldo lets out a terrifying hiss. There's a click. Cut to Pat, afraid of this freak in front of him. Sound effect of a violent tear, then of a large thud and a smaller thud. In front of him, the claws lower, showing that they have branched out into three blades on each claw.

DUMAS  
My truest disciple, purge this malfested.

Voldo growls and elegantly bows. Pat steps back and kicks the loose bar. The kick wasn't enough force to break it. Pat turns back, looking desperate.

PAT  
What the hell about him looks pure to you?

Voldo thrusts his right claw forward. Pat blocks with what's left of his sword, to which Voldo responds by slashing with his left claw up and down Pat's left arm. Pat slips a bit. Voldo rolls back into a handstand and kicks Pat in the face. Pat slides back on a pool of Prisoner's blood, wiping his own blood from his nose.

PAT  
Is this just what he does for fun?

DUMAS  
No, you're just an exceptional case. Believe it or not, he didn't like you very much.

The crowd laughs wildly. Voldo takes a minute, standing in a more cautious stance, crouching a bit and hissing. Pat raises an eyebrow. He walks up quietly to Voldo and hits him in the face with the sword hilt. Voldo trips, but turns that into a spinning kick. Pat stumbles back as Voldo cartwheels back into a standing pose. His beautiful mask is now gone, revealing a bald, scarred, pale head with strips of cloth covering his eyes, going down his face diagonally, and tied to a golden bar gagging him with his teeth visibly biting it. Pat is further surprised.

PAT  
And here I thought the mask was freaky.

The crowd laughs some more at this comment. Pat kicks out Voldo's leg. Voldo hisses and recovers through spinning on the ground trying to sweep Pat's feet. Pat dodges, returning back to the loose pole.

DUMAS  
Silence, all of you! Don't you see what he's doing?

The crowd instantly quiets, afraid of Dumas. Pat takes the hilt of his sword and starts hitting bars around the cage as hard as he can, creating the same vibrations as before. Voldo moves to the center, getting down on all fours and putting a leg in the air. Pat stops, on the opposing side of the cage from the weak bar and after a moment of silence, Voldo turns, growling vaguely in Pat's direction. Pat throws the remainder of his sword at that bar. Voldo cartwheels twice and dives at the bar with all his might. The bar breaks, with Voldo careening out of the cage. Voldo hisses in surprise and stabs both claws into the walls of the crowd's booth. He slides ten feet down from the top with another forty below that with the river. Pat looks down to see him and examines the broken part of the cage, now with a hole large enough for him to leap through.

DUMAS  
DAMN IT! You four, kill the bastard! Bleed him dry!

Four Dumas Guards jump into the cage with spears and swords, approaching Pat. Pat backs closer to the hole.

PAT  
I'll be back for you.

DUMAS  
Oh, please.

Pat sees Dumas step forth from the shadows drawing a pistol and cocking it. Pat jumps out of the cage as Dumas fires, hitting his right calf. Pat screams in pain as he falls, clinging to the broken, hanging bar for a second before seeing Voldo. Voldo pounces, but Pat lets go, falling into the water below. Voldo realizes he missed and catches the hanging bar with his feet, growling at Pat, who stops screaming so Voldo can no longer hear him.

DUMAS  
Well, I got his leg, so at the very least, that's an infection. Station troops along the river. Fish out the body.

DUMAS  
(to crowd)  
You people didn't see a damn thing!

DUMAS  
(to Voldo)  
I expect better from you. As soon as you get back up here, get your men and to prepare to fight him as soon as he surfaces. I want his head on my wall.

Pat has crashed into the river, trying to stay afloat. He slides through the natural trail of the river, trying to grab any rock to hold on, but his slips off each of them. All the way, he's being tossed about by the increasingly wild flow of the river. Flash an image of Priest being arrested, back to Pat, Young Woman pulling her knife on him, back to Pat, Voldo bowing while covered in Prisoner's blood, back to Pat, Dumas cocking his pistol, back to Pat, Zwei walking away, smirking at him, and Ein snarling behind him, back to Pat. Pat becomes furious and determined, swimming with his arms and good leg, staying afloat and moving quickly downstream. Suddenly, there's a bright light.

Ext. the river's exit from the city walls. the riverbed is bordered on both sides with some soft dirt and then stretches of grass.

Pat flies out of the tunnel, hitting the riverbank with decent force. He crawls onto the bank and breathes for a moment. DUMAS HORSEMAN pulls up.

PAT  
You're kidding me.

DUMAS HORSEMAN  
Lord Patroklos!? Are you alright?!

PAT  
Huh? Where the hell have you been?

DUMAS HORSEMAN  
Patrolling the walls all day. I was about to turn in, but then you, well... banked. Sir, I'll take you to the castle for medical attention. You look like you've had like four guys beat you up and then fell into a river. Is your leg shot?!

PAT  
It's a funny story, but I need your horse. I still need to make an entrance after all.

DUMAS HORSEMAN  
Whatever you say, sir.

Dumas Horseman helps Pat up onto the horse.

PAT  
Thanks, I guess.

Pat rides off along the river in the direction opposite the castle.

DUMAS HORSEMAN  
Sir, I don't know the over-under on how many concussions you've got, but the castle's that way!

Pat rides off into the rising sun in the direction that the river flows. Dumas Horseman watches as Pat goes out of view.

Ext. A town about a day's ride east of Dumas's city. a nice little place curiously void of Dumas's soldiers. It's sundown. Towards the entrance of the town is a fortuneteller's tent.

Pat rides up as the sky turns orange. He brings his horse to a stop.

PAT  
Huh. Looks clear. Somehow.

He's scanning the town, looking for soldiers when his eyes find the fortuneteller's tent. He sighs.

PAT  
(sarcastically to himself)  
Why go in? Because Zwei had said to. Who? You know, the guy who beat the crap out of you and got you disowned and hunted by the maniac who was until recently your father figure. Oh, THAT Zwei. Swell guy, that one... Whatever.

Pat gets off his horse, walking over to the tent. He enters, and is immediately met by VIOLA, a pretty but serious young woman with an indigo and white cloak above long, violet gloves and matching corset. Her hair is comprised of very pretty silver spirals and her eyes are a piercing magenta. She's reading a large book and looks up completely disinterested in Pat. At no point does she crack a smile. There is a crystal ball in front of her.

VIOLA  
We're closed.

PAT  
Excuse me, Ma'am, but it's been a rough day. Please can you make an exception?

VIOLA  
I'll let you in on a trade secret. The funny thing about the future is that it isn't going anywhere.

PAT  
I'll be quick.

VIOLA  
Looking like that, I'd say you're not too far off. Keep going at this rate and you'll be dead soon enough.

PAT  
If that's the case, let's get this over with.

VIOLA  
Eh, I dunno. You might pull through, in which case I hardly want to spend an hour telling you whose hand you're gonna be holding tomorrow. Go away.

PAT  
What's with this? Is there even a point? Ever since Zwei... forget it. Goodnight.

Pat starts to leave. Viola's interest is piqued a bit.

VIOLA  
Fine. Sit down.

PAT  
Really?

VIOLA  
You sound pretty consistently miserable. I could use a pick-me-up.

Pat rolls his eyes and sits down. Viola puts her hands over the crystal ball. It starts to glow as lights swirl within it.

PAT  
Ok, so what do you see?

VIOLA  
A jackass that won't let me concentrate.

Pat is about to tell her off when she starts with the fortune. He then listens intently.

VIOLA  
You'll be called upon for a journey of redemption. With a hand of sacred crystal, you'll fight to your last against a great corruption. I also see duality in your future. Your two halves will return together only to have an even deeper schism driven between them.

PAT  
So... I'll be some kind of hero? For real this time?

VIOLA  
No word if you win yet, but by all means, keep trying.

PAT  
And that bit about duality... my twin sister?

VIOLA  
That would make sense now, wouldn't it?

PAT  
But she's probably dead.

VIOLA  
If she came from the same source as you, she's probably resilient at the very least and damn near unkillable at most. Did I see that right- did you get shot in your leg?

PAT  
Yeah.

VIOLA  
A pistol wound. Not too many guns floating about. You must've pissed off someone important. Wait. Don't I know you? What's your name?

Pat starts to get a little nervous at the question, remembering he's a wanted criminal now.

PAT  
It's priva-

VIOLA  
Patroklos Alexander, got it. Little bit of psychic humor there. I'm Viola.

Pat is now starting to get mad and gets up to leave, but hasn't yet turned towards the door.

PAT  
Charmed. You're pretty much on the money about me pissing off someone important, so I should probably head out before you insult me some more.

VIOLA  
One more prediction.

He stops to listen to her.

PAT  
What?

VIOLA  
You're gonna get punched out again.

Pat puts a hand on his aching forehead.

PAT  
Alright, that's enough of this.

Zwei stands in the doorway. Pat is caught entirely off guard.

ZWEI  
Is it? The lady's more or less spot on.

PAT  
YOU!

Pat, lacking any weapons, is about to throw a punch at Zwei. Zwei punches Pat unconscious.

END


End file.
